Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2005-06: In his first season at Shattuck St. Mary’s, Ben Blood recorded 25 points in 73 games, along with 32 penalty minutes.

2006-07: Blood spent the season with Shattuck-St. Mary’s, where he tallied 11 goals and 36 points in 63 games. He managed to rack up 144 penalty minutes in his senior season with the team, but still led the club to a National Championship. Blood was the Ottawa Senators last selection in the 2007 draft, 120th overall, in the 4th round.

2007-08: This season marked Blood’s first in the USHL, which he split between the Des Moines Buccaneers and the Indiana Ice. In 11 games as a Buccaneer, he tallied seven helpers, adding another 16 points (10g+6a) in 46 games with the Ice. He accumulated 100 penalty minutes between the two clubs this season.

2008-09: Blood joined up with the University of North Dakota this season, registering one helper in 31 games.

2009-10: In 43 games with North Dakota, Blood would find the back of the net 5 times and add 9 assists; eventually winning the NCAA (WCHA) Championship. He was also selected to the NCAA (WCHA) All Academic Team.

2010-11: Blood skated in all 44 games for the University of North Dakota as a junior. Blood provided solid, stay-at-home defense on a team that featured several high-profile offensive prospects and won the WCHA regular season and playoff championships. Blood finished with a +32 plus/minus and scored 2 goals with 10 assists. While still one of the more physical players for the Fighting Sioux, his 48 PMs were exactly half as many minutes as he had the previous season.

2011-12: Blood signed a two-year, entry-level contract with Ottawa in April of 2012 following his senior season at North Dakota and made his pro hockey debut with the AHL's Binghamton Senators. In four games with Binghamton he had no points and was an even plus/minus with 17 penalty minutes. Blood played 42 games for North Dakota as a senior. He scored 3 goals with 18 assists and was +5 with 73 penalty minutes (two less than team leader Andrew MacWilliam). The Fighting Sioux finished third in the WCHA and received an at-large bid to the NCAA West Regional after a 4-3 overtime loss to Colorado College in the WCHA quarterfinals. North Dakota defeated Niagara, 2-1 before losing to eventual national champion Yale, 4-1, in the NCAA West Regional final.

2012-13: Blood split his first pro season between Ottawa's AHL affiliate in Binghamton and the ECHL's Elmira Jackals. After opening the year with the Jackals he appeared in three October games and one December contest with Binghamton and then shuffled between the two teams once the lockout ended. In 24 AHL games he was -4 with no points and 30 penalty minutes. Binghamton finished second in the East Division and had the AHL's fourth-best record before being swept by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in a first round series. Blood did not appear in any playoff games. In 32 regular season games for Elmira he scored 1 goal with 1 assist and was +8 with 23 penalty minutes. He had 1 assist and was +2 with 9 penalty minutes in six ECHL playoff games.

Talent Analysis

Blood has an intriguing combination of skill and size. He is fluid and sturdy on his skates, especially considering his size. Blood’s lateral movement and quickness is somewhat lacking, but this should improve with time. Blood plays well in all three zones and is excellent on special teams. His soft hands, poise with the puck, vision, and heavy, accurate slap shot make him an excellent power play quarterback. He also possesses a quick release and precise wrist shot. Blood has excellent hand eye coordination and has the ability to unleash a wicked one-timer when setup.

In the defensive zone, Blood is a formidable presence and shuts down players by angling them to the boards. He is terrific positioning, especially in one-on-one situations and uses his size to effectively clear out traffic in front of the crease. He could play a more physically, but Blood’s game is focused on being disciplined and not hurting his team with an errant play or missed body check.

Blood is also a good communicator both on and off the ice. He possesses good leadership qualities and could be a future team leader.

Future

Photo: Forward Cole Schneider is one of several forwards having a strong year for the Binghamton Senators. Schneider was signed as a free agent in 2012. (courtesy of Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images)

A little more than halfway through the 2013-14 NHL season, the Ottawa Senators are crowded at most positions. A number of forwards and defensemen are being evaluated as Ottawa tries to solidify its roster and push up the Eastern Conference standings.

Photo: Forward Matt Puempel is playing in his first season of professional hockey. Puempel is a sniper who was selected in the first round of the 2011 NHL Draft. (courtesy of Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)

After several years of strong drafting by the Ottawa Senators, a healthy competition for a limited amount of NHL jobs has developed among their young players. A wealth of Swedish prospects, led by goalie Robin Lehner, has served Ottawa well in recent years. They also have several first round picks, including Cody Ceci and Curtis Lazar, who are on track to become impactful NHL players.

Photo: Now in his third year of professional hockey, Patrick Wiercioch has started to blossom into an offensive defenseman. Through 30 AHL games he has nine goals and nine assists. (Jay Kopinski/Icon SM)

In years past, Ottawa's AHL affiliate has been a mixed roster of AHL veterans, free agent signings, and draft picks. This is no longer the case. The Binghamton Senators are stacked with young talent and are among the youngest teams in the AHL.

Photo: Mark Borowiecki is one of several defensive prospects the Ottawa Senators have playing at the AHL level. (Tony Medina/Icon SMI)

The future of the Ottawa Senators looks bright. The Senators are considered to have one of the better pools of young talent in the NHL and, while some top draftees have recently cemented themselves on the Ottawa roster, most notably Erik Karlsson and Jared Cowen, there are many prospects on the verge of becoming solid NHL contributors in the near future. The club has quality and various skill-sets in all positions and has worked to draft where they previously had weak depth.

Photo: Forward Jakob Silfverberg is one of several Ottawa Senators prospects who will be vying for NHL time in 2012-13. (Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)

With a surprise appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2011-12, the Ottawa Senators' rebuilding blueprint is starting to show signs of success. Competition for roster spots and ice time this coming season should be fierce as Jakob Silfverberg, Mark Borowiecki, and Jim O'Brien appear targeted to claim roster spots in Ottawa. Other prospects such as Mika Zibanejad and Robin Lehner should also push for full time spots in the NHL.